Carton



1959 D. z. STEINER 2,900,122

' CARTON Filed Nov. 4, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Aug 18, 1959 D. 2. STEINER CARTON Filed Nm r. 4, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f e mm N/ W10 Z W D United States Patent C) CARTON Donald z. Steiner, Miami, Fla.

Application November 4, 1957, Serial No. 694,160

'3 Claims. (Cl. 229- 39) This invention relates to cartons or containers for objects or articles, and particularly pertains to means for locking the cover of such carton in closed position.

Cartons for packaging frozen objects, such as popsicles and ice cream sandwiches, may be conveniently made of waxed cardboard, and glued closure of such cartons is difiicult'and undesirable. It is important that the covers of such cartons be quickly and simply closable and lockable and that the locking be secure.

An object of this invention is to provide in a carton an improved simple and practical locking means for a cover tuck flap. While the invention is particularly applicable to cartons formed of single ply cardboard, it is adaptable to containers formed of other materials.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a top perspective view of a container in accord with the invention with the cover and end closure flaps in full open position;

Fig; 2 is a front perspective view of the container with the end closure flaps folded into closed position and with the cover in partially open position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2 showing progressive steps in the closing and locking of the cover;

Fig. 4 is a partially-broken away front elevation of a portion of the carton showing the cover in closed and locked position; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank for forming the carton.

As seen in Fig. l the carton or container 1 comprises a front wall 2, opposite end walls 3 and 4 joined along their respective front edges 5 and 6 to opposite end edges 7 and 8 of the front wall and extending rearwardly therefrom. The end walls join a rear or back wall 9, and a cover panel 10 is hinged to the top edge 11 of the rear wall. Bottom closure flaps 12, 13, 1 4 and 15 are joined, respectively, to the front wall 2, end wall 3, back wall 9 and end wall 4, and these flaps are joined together, such as by an interlock at 16, to close the bottom of the container. End wall cover flaps 17 and 18 are hingedly attached along hinge lines 19 and 20 to end walls 3 and '4, respectively, at the respective top edges of the end walls.

The forward edge 21 of the cover panel 10 hingedly joins a tuck flap 22 having a shoulder extension 23 at one end 24 and a shoulder extension 25 at the other end 26. The tuck flap is arranged to be tucked immediately behind front wall 2, and a pair of small shoulder-receiving openings 27 and 28' are provided in end walls 3 and 4, respectively, each opening extending a short distance rearwardly from the respective front edges 5 and 6 into the respective end wall. Openings 27 and 28v are formed by severing tabs 29 and 30, respectively, best seen in Fig. 2, from-the end walls, and these tabs remain attached to 2,900,122 Patented Aug. 18, 1959 front wall 2 and extend outwardly therefrom in a position to protect the shoulders when the cover is locked in closed position by insertion of the shoulder extensions into openings 27 and 28-.

In the process of closing, the end wall cover flaps 17 and 18 are first folded inwardly from the position of Fig. 1

to that shown in Fig. 2, and the cover is then swung forthe shoulder extension engages the end wall 3. The necessary canting. or tilting of the tuck flap and entrance of extension 23 intoopening 27 are permitted by a cut-out or indentation 35 formed in the. end 24 of the tuck flap above the. shoulder extension 23 and by a notch 45 between the shoulder extension and the foot extension 34.

As the tuck flap is moved. downwardly from the broken line position to the solid line position of Fig. 3, and finally into the closed and locked position shown in Fig. 4, the tuck flap pivots on foot projection 34. The distance between foot projection 34 and the lower portion 36 of the opposite end edge of flap 22 is slightly less than the length of front wall 2, whereby portion 36 of the flap clears the end wall4 as it enters the carton. As the flap is further lowered, pivoting on foot 34, it is forced further toward the end 26 which carries the smaller shoulder extension 25. -Shoulder extension 25 has an inwardly tapering lower or outer edge 24 which is not subject to catching on the container wall 4 or cover flap edge 32 as the tuck flap is pivoted toward locked position. Projection 23, which was originally, as shown in Fig. 3, inserted an extra distance into opening 27, as permitted by cut-out. 35 and notch 45, nowis forced inwardly, or toward the right, withdrawing partially from opening 27 as the tuck flap moves toward the right. The maximum movement of flap 22 toward the right as viewed in the drawings is attained when the projection 25 has entered opening 28., and the cover is locked, as shown in Fig. 4. The distance from the end edge portion 36 which lies below projection 25, to the tip of the opposite shoulder projection 23 is greater than the length of the front wall 2,. and the distance from foot 34 to the tip of projection 25 is also greaterthan the length of thefront wall. Accordingly, when the cover is closed in the Fig. 4 position, engagement of .the foot 34 with end wall 3 prevents the flap'from moving toward end 24, or to'the left as shown in the drawings, and thereby retains shoulder 25 against movement out of opening .28. Similarly, engagement of end edge portion 36 below shoulder 25, and of end edge portion 37 which lies above the shoulder,-with end wall '4 retains shoulder projection 23 within opening 27. It is then necessary, in order to unlock and open the cover, to distort the container, or to bend flap 22, or to tear off one or both shoulder projections, or totear the container adjacent one or both openings 27 and 28.

The lower or outer edge 23 of shoulder extension 23 preferably inclines or tapers inwardly as shown, to prevent the catching of the extension on a wall of the container, or on cover flap 17, when the tuck flap is first inposition by one continuous simple movement in which.

the end 24 of the flap is first inserted with the cover slightly bent, as. seen in broken lines 33, and, as'theshoulder 23 enters opening 27, downward swinging of the cover and flap 22 on pivot foot 34 causes lower end edge 36 to enter the carton along the meeting panel edges 6 and 8, the shoulder 25 being urged by the bearing of foot 34 against wall 3 further and further toward the right, as viewed in the drawings, as the cover is swung downwardly until the shoulder 25 snaps or jumps into opening 28. Once in closed position, the flap remains locked by engagement of the shoulder projections in the end Wall openings.

The upper edge 54 of opening 27 is spaced below hinge line 19, which defines the upper edge of end wall 3, by a distance substantially equal to the height of cut-out 35, or, in other words, equal to the distance separating the shoulder 23 from the cover panel 10, and the top edge 55 of opening 28 is spaced below hinge line 20 by a distance equal to the length of portion 37 of the flap edge, whereby the cover panel 10 lies substantially flush with the upper edges of the walls when in closed and locked position.

A- blank for forming the container of Figs. 14 is shown in plan view in Fig. 5. The blank comprises a single sheet cut and scored to form a front wall panel 2 joined along opposite end edges 7 and 8 to front edges and 6 of end wall panels 3 and 4, respectively, and having a bottom closure flap 12 joined along fold line 38.

The scored fold lines joining the front to the end wall panels are each interrupted by a respective tab 29 and 3t severed from the respective end wall panel, and providing the openings in the end walls as hereinabove described. Bottom closure fiaps 13 and 15 are joined to the respective end wall panels 3 and 4 by fold lines 39 and 40, and each end wall panel may, if desired, have a respective cover flap 17 and 18 joined thereto along an upper hinge line at 19 and 20, respectively.

End wall panel 4 is joined along scored fold line 41 to rear wall panel 9, and panel 9 carries a glue flap 42 arranged for gluing to end wall 3 to assemble the container. Bottom closure flap 14 is attached to the back wall panel at a scored line 43 and cover panel is also attached thereto along hinge line 11. The cover panel carries tuck flap 22, attached along hinge line'21 which is opposite to the rear hinge 11 of the cover panel. End 24 of the tuck flap is cut to form a shoulder projection 23, a foot projection 34 adjacent the entering edge 44 of the tuck flap, and a cut-out 35 between the shoulder 34 and the upper edge hinge 21 of the tuck flap. A notch 45 entering the tuck flap end 24 separates the foot 34 from the shoulder extension 23. At the opposite end 26 of the tuck flap, an outward shoulder projection 25 is arranged between end edge portions 36 and 37 of the flap. It will be seen that end edge portions 36 and 37 substantially align with end edge 46 of the cover panel, and the outer end of foot extension 34 substantially aligns with edge 47 of the cover panel, while the shoulder projections '23 and 25 extend outwardly beyond such aligned portions. It will also be seen that the length of the cover panel between edges 46 and 47 is substantially equal to the length of the back panel 9 and, accordingly, to the length of the front panel 2. Specifically, the length of the tuck flap from the outer end of foot 34 to the opposite end edge portion 36 is equal to the overall length of the front panel minus approximately twice the thickness of the cardboard material, whereby the tuck flap in closed position is in engagement with end wall 3 at foot 34 and in engagement with end wall 4 at end edge portions 36 and 37. The engagement may be reasonably tight or rather loose, but it is sufiiciently close or tight to prevent movement of the flap far enough to disengage either shoulder extension from the respective end Wall opening. The overall flap length as defined between the outer tips of the shoulder extensions is substantially greater than the length of the front wall.

The bottom closure flaps 12 and 14 have interlock tabs 48 and 49, and they may also be provided with hinge lines, such as at 50 and 51, permitting the flaps to be glued respectively to end wall bottom closure flaps 13 and 15, respectively, in a manner to be self-erecting and to permit the container to be folded flat after assembly. For such operation, glue is applied to the portions 52 and 53 of respective flaps l2 and 14 and flap 15 is positioned to overlie flap 14 and flap 13 is positioned to overlie flap 12, and in each case the overlying flap is glued to the glued portion of the underlying fiap. Flaps 14 and 15, and flaps 12 and 13, may fold upwardly to permit collapse of the container, while the interlock tabs 48 and 49 lock upon re-erection as shown in Fig. 1 at 316.

While only a certain preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a container, a box body, a cover panel swingably connected to said body and having a foldable tuck flap hingedly joined thereto along the forward edge of said panel, said body comprising a front wall and side walls joined to the ends of said front wall and extending rearwardly therefrom, said tuck flap entering between said side walls and against the inner face of said front walls upon swinging of said cover panel into closed position on said body, said front wall having a predetermined length between said side walls, said tuck flap having opposite upper edge portions defining a length substantially less than the length of said front panel and intermediate edge portions extending at each end of said flap outwardly beyond said upper edge portions forming outwardly projecting shoulder extensions, said extensions defining an overall flap length greater than said front wall length, said shoulder extensions having lower edges tapering inwardly and terminating in lower opposite flap end edges defining therebetween a lower flap portion length which is substantially equal to and not greater than said front wall length, said side walls having respective shoulder-extension-receiving openings formed therethrough adjacent their respective front edges and spaced below their respective upper edges by distances corresponding to the heights of said respective upper edge portions of said flap.

2. A container having a front wall joined along opposite ends to respective rearwardly extending end walls and a cover having a tuck flap for tucking behind said front wall and between said end walls, characterized by each said end wall having an opening therein extending rearwardly from the respective front wall end and spaced below the upper edge of the respective end wall, said tuck flap having opposite end edges, a first portion of each sm'd end edge comprising an outwardly extending shoulder extension entering a respective said opening when said cover is closed, one said end edge comprising a foot portion below the respective shoulder extension thereof engaged against the respective one of said end walls below said opening therein when said cover is closed and a cut-out portion above said shoulder extension formed to extend inwardly into said flap and spacedly out of engagement with said one end wall when said cover is closed, the other said end edge further comprising a portion engaged against the respective end wall adjacent the opening therein when said cover is closed, whereby each said shoulder extension is retained in the respective end wali openis'lg by said end-wall engagement of the end-wall-engaged portion of the respectively opposite end edge of the tuck flap.

7 3. In a container having a front wall joined along opposite end edges to the forward edges of respective rearwardly extending end walls, the combination therewith of a cover having a tuck flap for tucking against said front wail between said end walls, said tuck flap having respective outwardly extending shoulder projections from its opposite ends located below its upper edge, said side walls having respective openings extending rearwardly from their respective forward edges and spaced below the upper end of the respective forward edge by distances equal to the spacing of the respective shoulder extension below the upper edge of the flap, one of said ends of said flap com prising a pivot foot disposed below the shoulder of said one end, said foot terminating outwardly a distance measured from the outer end of the opposite shoulder greater than the length dimension of said front wall and less than the distance measured between the outer ends of the opposite shoulders, the portion of said one end extending be- 5 2,788,932

6 tween the shoulder thereof and the top of said end being indented and terminating outwardly a distance from the outer end of the shoulder at the other end of said flap equal to less than said length of said front wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,821,059 Honigbaum Sept. 1, 1931 2,024,821 Hirshon Dec. 17, 1935 2,544,565 Phillips Mar. 6, 1951 2,586,156 Ferguson Feb. 19, 1952 2,639,079 Petter May 19, 1953 German Apr. 16, 1957 

